Evaluating reliability and predictive validity of the persian translation of quantitative checklist for autism in toddlers (Q-CHAT)

Objective: Early screening of autism increases the chance of receiving timely intervention. Using the Parent Report Questionnaires is effective in screening autism. The Q-CHAT is a new instrument that has shown several advantages than other screening tools. Because there is no adequate tool for the early screening of autistic traits in Iranian children, we aimed to investigate the adequacy of the Persian translation of Q-CHAT. Method: At first, we prepared the Persian translation of the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT). After that, an appropriate sample was selected and the check list was administered. Our sample included 100 children in two groups (typically developing and autistic children) who had been selected conveniently .Pearson's r was used to determine test-retest reliability, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to explore the internal consistency of Q-CHAT. We used the receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) to investigate whether Q-CHAT can adequately discriminate between typically developing and ASD children or not. Data analysis was carried out by SPSS 19. Result: The typically developing group consisted of 50 children with the mean age of 27.14 months, and the ASD group included50 children with the mean age of 29.62 months. The mean of the total score for the typically developing group was 22.4 (SD=6.26) on Q-CHAT and it was 50.94 (SD=12.35) for the ASD group, which was significantly different (p=0.00).The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the checklist was 0.886, and test-retest reliability was calculated as 0.997 (p<0.01). The estimated area under the curve (AUC) was 0.971. It seems that the total score equal to 30 can be a good cut point to identify toddlers who are at risk of autism (sensitivity= 0.96 and specificity= 0.90). Conclusion: The Persian translation of Q-CHAT has good reliability and predictive validity and can be used as a screening tool todetect18 to 24 months old children who are at risk of autism

The effect of a parental education program on the mental health of parents and behavioral problems of their children with autism spectrum disorder

Objectives Early interventions can play an important role in alleviating or eliminating many of the major symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and enhancing new skills. Parental education can reduce the parents� depression and stress and increase their empowerment. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a parental education program the mental health of parents, behavioral problems of their children with ASD. Methods A group of 30 parents of children with ASD in Tehran, Iran were selected by a convenience sampling and were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The parents in the intervention group received psychoeducational program according to Tonge et al.�s (2006) method in 10 sessions each for 90 min in Tehran Psychiatric Institute. Data collection tools were the Family Assessment Device, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Billings and Mouse�s Coping Strategies Scale, and 28-item General Health Questionnaire. All participants were evaluated at three stages of pretest, posttest, and 3-month follow-up. Results The effect of parental education program on the clinical symptoms and its dimensions was significant at three measurement phases. In the 3-month follow-up duration, the results remained unchanged. There were a significant difference between the two study groups in general health, family function, coping strategies, and child behavior (F=4.859, P=0.023). Conclusion Parental education can improve the mental health of parents and reduce the behavioral problems of their ASD children. © 2020, Iran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Developing a comprehensive evidence-based service package for toddlers with autism in a low resource setting: Early detection, early intervention, and care coordination

Objective: The number of children with autism, who have many unmet needs, is increasing dramatically. However, the existing evidence shows that early identification and intervention are effective in reducing the later costs and burdens of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Thus, the present study aimed to develop evidence-based services for children with autism in Iran to reduce its impacts on the affected children and their families and to decrease its burden on the society. Method: A 3-step study was conducted based on a modification of the Replicating Effective Programs (REP) framework (step 1: need assessment and situation analysis; step 2: identifying current evidence-based services; step 3: designing the first draft of the package and its core elements). Each step was conducted by a specific methodology. Results: By considering the obtained data, it was found that a package of services with 4 core components to respond to the perceived needs in Iran was needed: (1) early detection of at-risk children; (2) care coordination and facilitation of access to current services; (3) implementation of an evidence-based early intervention program; and (4) training interventionists using an effective educational framework based on evidence-based material. Conclusion: REP framework was used in the present study, which has been shown to be effective in adapting and implementing health care services. By considering the preconditions of REP, a comprehensive package of services, with 4 components was designed for toddlers with autism in Iran. The next step will be to study this package using a multicenter hybrid effectiveness-implementation randomized control trial. © 2019 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Current status of health and social services for children with autism in Iran: Parents� perspectives

Objective: The present study is a part of a larger study that aimed at developing a comprehensive model of service delivery for individuals with autism in Iran based on the local needs and characteristics. In this study, the status of the services provided to those with autism in Iran was investigated based on the perspectives of parents of children with autism. Method: A semi-structured interview was used to qualitatively investigate the status of the services with regards to autism in Iran based on the perspectives of parents of children with autism. Results: This study revealed several barriers, including shortness of eligible professionals, difficulty in access to care for families, high costs, and lack of formal and informal supports, in providing services to those with autism in Iran. Early detection and diagnosis are of prime importance. We also need to train our specialists to diagnose autism based on the standard protocols and tests. Conclusion: In sum, we need a comprehensive program that involves different sectors in charge of health and education in Iran. © 2019 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Effects of Telephone Versus Paper-and-Pencil Self-Administration of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in Child and Adolescent Outpatients: Evidence from Iran

Background: The strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) is one of the most common screening tools to detect children and adolescents who are at risk of mental health problems or have psychiatric disorders. The standard mode of SDQ completion is on paper; however, some studies used phone administration and argued that this is a feasible and valid method that can substitute in-person administration. However, few studies have investigated the validity and reliability of phone administration of the SDQ. Objectives: The current study aimed to compare the telephone versus paper-and-pencil administration of the SDQ among Iranian child and adolescent outpatients. Methods: Sixty six parents with children aged 3 to 15 years completed the SDQ questionnaire using paper-and-pencil and telephone interview techniques. The study was performed in 2016, and participants were from the city of Tehran (capital of Iran). Participants were first divided into two groups. Then, one of them first completed the questionnaire using the face-to-face interviews, and 3 to 4 days later, they again completed the questionnaire using the telephone interview. And the vice versa occurred for the other group. The Pearson correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlation between the two methods in each group separately. Intra-class correlation (ICC) analysis was used to investigate the association between the two administration methods. Results: A significant positive correlation was found between the two types of administration in both groups (P < 0.05). Intra-class correlation coefficients indicated a good correlation between the scores obtained from each method of administration (all P values were < 0.001). Conclusions: Telephone administration of SDQ is a reliable method for collecting data when studying emotional and behavioral symptoms in children and adolescents attending outpatient psychiatric centers. Copyright © 2020, Author(s)

Testbed on MANET (ToM): private testbed facility for MANET Experiment

This article aims to share how to create a minimum MANET testbed facility as a requirement for evaluation of MANET research. Testbed facility that we have developed is called as Testbed on MANET or abbreviation ToM. We chose to use single board computer (SBC) to represent mobile devices in MANET. ToM facility and can be used either in a static mesh network or in a dynamic network topology, where each node in the testbed can move according to the needs of the researcher. To realize a real world node mobility in ToM, we use mobile robot technology and mobile robot that we have develop, where we named it as ToMRobot. Our experience in developing a ToM facility proves that with today’s technological developments, the private MANET testbed facility can be developed more easily at low cost

Genomics in neurodevelopmental disorders: an avenue to personalized medicine

Despite the remarkable number of scientific breakthroughs of the last 100 years, the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability) remains a great challenge. Recent advancements in genomics, such as whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing, have enabled scientists to identify numerous mutations underlying neurodevelopmental disorders. Given the few hundred risk genes that have been discovered, the etiological variability and the heterogeneous clinical presentation, the need for genotype — along with phenotype- based diagnosis of individual patients has become a requisite. In this review we look at recent advancements in genomic analysis and their translation into clinical practice

Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 provides a rules-based synthesis of the available evidence on levels and trends in health outcomes, a diverse set of risk factors, and health system responses. GBD 2019 covered 204 countries and territories, as well as first administrative level disaggregations for 22 countries, from 1990 to 2019. Because GBD is highly standardised and comprehensive, spanning both fatal and non-fatal outcomes, and uses a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of hierarchical disease and injury causes, the study provides a powerful basis for detailed and broad insights on global health trends and emerging challenges. GBD 2019 incorporates data from 281 586 sources and provides more than 3.5 billion estimates of health outcome and health system measures of interest for global, national, and subnational policy dialogue. All GBD estimates are publicly available and adhere to the Guidelines on Accurate and Transparent Health Estimate Reporting. From this vast amount of information, five key insights that are important for health, social, and economic development strategies have been distilled. These insights are subject to the many limitations outlined in each of the component GBD capstone papers.Peer reviewe